This invention relates to a textile machine for producing and/or processing yarns with a plurality of production or processing stations arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the machine, with a yarn winding unit being associated with each station, and further including a transport system for transporting empty tubes or full yarn packages to or from the winding units, the transport system comprising an electric overhead conveyor traveling along a guideway or track system of the type of a rail.
A textile machine of the described type is disclosed in DE-OS 21 23 689 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,725. In this prior machine, the transport device comprises in its longitudinal direction several carriages of an electric overhead conveyor. The joined carriages may correspond in their length and in accordance with the yarn packages deposited thereon to one section each of processing stations. The carriages are pulled by a power drive of the electric overhead conveyor, so that continuously circulating drive means are not needed, since they may greatly interfere, require energy even when idle, and be subjected to wear. Each of these carriages forms a transport container for a yarn package transport device into the textile machine, stationary additional drives are provided in the region of guiding or receiving devices, so as to cause the package transport devices to enter into or move out of the transport container, it being possible to construct these drives in particular as frictional drive wheels. While this known package transport device already permits travel along relatively narrow curves and reduces the space needed when packages are buffered or temporarily stored, the space utilization is not yet optimal, inasmuch as the package transport devices or the axially extending support beams used for this purpose restrict a further narrowing of the curves. Furthermore, it is possible to maintain the flow of material, in particular the transfer of the empty tubes to the processing machines, only by means of a plurality of additional drives which are susceptible to breakdown, and a correspondingly complicated control system.
It is further provided that, for purposes of receiving the full yarn packages, the electric overhead conveyor moves into the machine aisles of the respective processing stations, whereby high costs are incurred for switches and laying the necessary overhead contact wires.
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide an improved textile machine of the described type, so as to simplify the material flow from and to each processing station substantially without incurring additional expenses for carriage drives.